American Trucking
Associations Focuses on Driver Behavior

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has asked NHTSA to make driver behavior a top safety priority in NHTSA’s 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. Many of the suggestions stem from ATA’s 18-point safety agenda, adopted in 2008. ATA filed its comments with NHTSA on January 5.

ATA’s chief concerns include distracted driving, speeding and aggressive driving. It noted that these will become larger issues as freight volume grows faster than highway capacity, causing increased congestion. According to ATA, it is difficult for onboard safety systems to function correctly in traffic congestion at low speeds.

Other safety recommendations included more consistent and uniform driver licensing and graduated driver licensing among states; education and enforcement programs targeting problem behaviors, and legislation to create safer driving speeds.

Specifically, ATA would like to see a national maximum speed limit of 65 mph for all vehicles, and electronic speed governance set at 65 mph for all Class 7 and 8 trucks manufactured after 1992. It also suggests states consider implementing speed limiters on the passenger vehicles of drivers convicted of certain unsafe driving practices.